Toronto 
Today, the Fraser Institute released its annual rankings for Ontario’s elementary schools, providing a unique resource for parents to evaluate the academic achievements of schools across the province.
Credit: note thanun/ Unsplash
This comprehensive report card includes 2,975 public, Catholic, and independent schools, grading them on nine academic indicators based on provincewide testing results in reading, writing, and math for grades 3 and 6.
“Our Report Cards offer parents information they can’t easily get anywhere else,
about how their child’s school performs and how it compares to other schools in
Ontario,” said Peter Cowley, a Fraser Institute senior fellow in a news release.
Fraser Institute says the findings highlight that schools have the potential for academic improvement regardless of their demographic or geographic factors. Félix-Leclerc, a public school in Etobicoke, dramatically improved its rating from 4.3 to 9.6 between 2016 and 2022, becoming one of the province’s top performers. Similarly, St Joseph-Fergus Catholic Elementary in Fergus, with 32% special needs students, also saw significant improvement, jumping from 4.4 to 8.5.
Eligibility for inclusion in the rankings requires schools to have a minimum enrollment and participation in specific grade-level tests. Exclusions apply to schools without a sixth grade, certain French immersion schools, and most private institutions that opt out of mandatory testing.
Top 100 Elementary Schools in Ontario
Arranged in alphabetical order.
Score: 10, Rank 1/2975
- Ahlul Bayt Islamic School, 3025 Albion Rd North RD, Ottawa
- Ahmadiyya Elementary School, 1194 Matheson Blvd East, Mississauga
- Avondale Alternative Elementary School, 171 Avondale Ave, North York
- Hawthorn Public School, 2473 Rosemary Dr, Mississauga
- International School of Cambridge, 1550 Dunbar Rd, Cambridge
- Khalsa School Malton, e 7280 Airport Rd., Mississauga
- King George Junior Public School, e 25 Rexford Rd, York
- Northmount School, 26 Mallard Rd, Toronto
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School, e 1 1/2 Garfield Ave, Toronto
- St Ann Catholic Elementary School, ce 832 Canboro Rd, Fenwick
- St Michael’s Choir (Jr) School, 66 Bond St, Toronto
- École élémentaire Laure-Rièse, 339 Alton Towers Circle, Scarborough
- École élémentaire catholique Saint-Guillaume, 5750 Buckland chemin, Vars
Score: 9.9; Rank 14/2975
- Bennington Heights Elementary School, Toronto
- Blythwood Junior Public School, Toronto
- Cottingham Junior Public School, Toronto
- Munn’s Public School, Oakville
- Prince of Peace Catholic School, Toronto
- St Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School, Unionville
- St. Luke Catholic Elementary School, Oakville
- W. Erskine Johnston Public School, Kanata
Score: 9.8; Rank: 22/2975
- Forest Trail Public School (Elementary), Oakville
- Lincoln Alexander Public School, Markham
- William Berczy Public School, Unionville
Score: 9.7; Rank: 25/2975
- Bayview Fairways Public School, Thornhill
- Silver Stream Public School, Richmond Hill
- St Davids Public School, St Davids
- William Dunbar Public School, Pickering
Score: 9.6; Rank: 29/2975
- Elmdale Public School, Ottawa
- Greenbank Public School, Greenbank
- Holy Rosary Catholic School, Toronto
- Lambton Kingsway Junior Middle School, Toronto
- Ossington/Old Orchard Junior Public School, Toronto
- Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Elementary School, Richmond Hill
- St Henry Catholic School, Toronto
- St Rene Goupil-St Luke Catholic Elementary School, Thornhill
- École élémentaire Dyane-Adam, Milton
- École élémentaire Félix-Leclerc, Toronto
Score: 9.5; Rank: 39/2975
- Burrows Hall Junior Public School, Toronto
- Lynnwood Heights Junior Public School, Toronto
- Michael Cranny Elementary School, Maple
- St. James Catholic Global Learning Center, Mississauga
- St. Vincent Catholic Elementary School, Oakville
Score: 9.4; Rank: 44/2975
- Bayview Glen Public School, Thornhill
- Greendale Public School, Niagara Falls
- Masonville Public School, London
- Parkview Public School, Unionville
- St Edmund Separate School, Mississauga
- St Matthew Catholic Elementary School, Unionville
- Whitney Junior Public School, Toronto
- ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Toronto, Toronto
- ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-Markham, Markham
Score: 9.3; Rank: 53/2975
- David Lewis Public School, Toronto
- First Avenue Public School, Ottawa
- German Mills Public School, Thornhill
- Guardian Angels Elementary School, Stittsville
- John Dearness Public School, London
- St Francis of Assisi Catholic School, Toronto
- St Sebastian Catholic School, Toronto
- Woodroffe Avenue Public School, Ottawa
- École élémentaire du Chêne, Oakville
Score: 9.2; Rank: 62/2975
- Bedford Park Public School, Toronto
- Cedarvale Community School, Toronto
- Christ the King Catholic Elementary School, Richmond Hill
- Forest Hill Junior and Senior Public School, Toronto
- Jack Miner Public School, Whitby
- John Wanless Junior Public School, Toronto
- Laurelwood Public School, Waterloo
- Montrose Junior Public School, Toronto
- Park Public School, Grimsby
- Pilgrim Wood Public School, Oakville
- Rousseau Public School, Ancaster
- St John of the Cross School, Mississauga
- St Paul Catholic School, Guelph
- W H Morden Public School, Oakville
Score: 9.1; Rank: 76/2975
- Donald Cousens Public School, Markham
- Ecole Immaculee-Conception Separate School, Formosa
- Glynn A Green Public School, Fonthill
- Jack Chambers Public School, London
- John McCrae Public School, Guelph
- New Dundee Public School, New Dundee
- Nokiidaa Public School, Markham
- Runnymede Junior and Senior Public School, Toronto
- San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School, Markham
- St Bonaventure Catholic School, Toronto
- St. John XXIII Separate School, Arnprior
Score: 9; Rank: 87/2975
- Abraham Erb Public School, Waterloo
- Bellewood Public School, Windsor
- Castlemore Elementary Public School, Markham
- Central Park Public School, Markham
- Chapel Hill Catholic Elementary School, Orléans
- Chine Drive Public School, Toronto
- Dalewood Public School, St Catharines
- E J James Public School, Oakville
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary School, Carlisle
- Rosedale Junior Public School, Toronto
- St Joseph Catholic Elementary School, Markham
- St Rose of Lima Separate School, Mississauga
- St. Gabriel Elementary School, Kanata
- Valley Central Public School, Thunder Bay
- École élémentaire Charles-Sauriol, Toronto
Fraser Institute says the report aims to offer insights beyond mere academic performance, encouraging parents to consider various facets of potential schools, including extracurricular programs and community values. It also addresses concerns regarding the potential exclusion of lower-performing students from assessments, indicating measures in place to discourage such practices.
The Fraser Institute advises against using the rankings as the sole criterion for school selection, suggesting a more holistic approach to evaluating educational opportunities.
